Women’s Safety in the Pacific Region A Pilot Study: Safety of Tongan women living in Tongatapu

This section presents the findings from a pilot study that explored the meaning of safety among Tongan women in Tongatapu. The study was informed by three Tongan research approaches, namely the Kakala framework (Thaman 2006), Talanoa (Vaioleti 2016) and Tālanga (Ofanoa et al. 2015; see Glossary at the end of this chapter for translations of all Tongan terms), carried out with eligible participants, who were required to identify as Tongan, live in Tongatapu (at the time of the study) and be between 18 and 65 years of age. Altogether, there were 21 people who took part in the Tongan pilot study. There were three group talanoa and 12 individual talanoa. A heterogenous sample was gained with an age range between 22 and 63 years. The occupations of individuals ranged from chief executive officer (CEO), to government officials, to workers in the non-government organisation (NGO) sector, to private companies and church groups. Tonga is a highly conservative and Christianised country. The findings from the report reflected this in terms of how safety was perceived by those who took part in the study. Safety was defined as the importance of tau‘ataina (freedom) and malu (shelter and protection from harsh conditions in the physical, social and spiritual environment). The foundation of Tongan society is the family unit or the home, where aspects such as order, harmony and balance in the home, encompassing holistic aspects of safety, a strong connection to Tongan culture and identity (anga fakatonga moe nofo ‘a kāinga) were identified as key aspects of safety not only for Tongan women but for Tongan society in general. The crumbling of the home describes the worsening of safety for Tongan women due to multiple factors such as drugs, the loss of anga fakatonga (Tongan culture), taboos7 being broken between father and daughter, brother and sister, distance from God, the works of the enemy, intergenerational strongholds and curses, influence of drugs and poverty (prostitution), and its influence on issues of incest and teenage pregnancy. This section prioritises the recommendations that were put forward by the participants, which made up the final theme of the findings termed ‘opportunities to improve safety for Tongan women’. These include improving one’s relationship with God, rebuilding the family unit, reconnecting with anga fakatonga and anga fakafonua (patriotic values, traditions and customs); creating a safe space, the importance of showing love, compassion and care to our daughters, choosing one’s husband wisely, and the creation of policies and legislation to improve safety within institutions.